LED - Hercules of the Present

LED are the legends of the electronic universe. Just like Hercules, they manage to accomplish what have previously been seen as impossible. No, they do not battle ancient beasts like the Lernaean Hydra, they tackle the intangible enemies of the modern mankind – rising energy costs, mundane and typical living constructions, fragility. Old electronics rust in museums, forgotten, irrelevant. 85 year old LED is experiencing a tide of popularity. Why?

Much younger than the aforementioned Greek hero, light-emitting diodes (LED) were first created in 1927 by a Russian scientist Oleg Vladimirovich Losev. The breakthrough invention found its way into German and British scientific journals, but not in the hands of the public for more than two decades after. Initially thought to be capable of only infrared radiation, the first visible-spectrum LEDs were patented in 1962. Throughout the years, the color collection of LED grew, but not as fast as the improvement of their brightness.

Their first use came as the alphanumeric display of an early HP handheld calculator. Since then they found use as indicator lamps and in appliances like TVs, radios, telephones, calculators and even watches. They grew brighter and more diverse by the year. One of the latest words in their development is residential lighting.

Slowly but steadily, LED are replacing the “traditional” incandescent light bulbs, as well as the fluorescent ones. Plainly speaking, they are just better.

·Efficiency: They are more efficient. Traditional light bulbs convert approximately 80% of income electrical energy into heat, instead of light. LED are practically the opposite. They emit more light per watt and their efficiency is not affected by shape and size.

·Color: LED can emit light of a multitude of colors, without any color filter. Even low-cost LED lighting fixtures at Lights On can emit up to 16,581,375 (2553) different colors. For any mood and taste.

·Size: They can be very small (smaller than 2mm2). Having a large number of small light bulbs in one lamp means you can create and change colorful designs to shine in your room. Our store has these lamps on display, like Boston from Poland.

·Dimming: Very easily dimmed, in contrast to some other types of bulbs.

·Cool light: Radiate a very small amount of heat. Translation? No burns or damage to sensitive objects and fabrics. Increased fire safety.

·Lifetime: However, failure is not a concern at all with LEDs. According to a report, LED has 50,000 hours of useful life in contrast to 10,000 of a fluorescent tube or 1,000 of an incandescent bulb.

·Shock Resistance: Solid components of the LED are difficult to damage with external shock, unlike the very fragile fluorescent and incandescent bulbs.

Durable, long-lasting, artistic – they are also relatively cheap. Not only do they waste less money by being dimmable and much more energy-efficient, they aren’t costly to purchase. Come see them for yourself at Lights On; 432 Kerr St, Oakville, ON. They might not be Hercules, but they are legends. Come and experience exactly why LED lights will fully replace the incandescent ones in less than ten years.